Apparatus for rotating and shifting rolled workpieces, especially sections



Jan. 23, 1968 o. MODDER ETAL 3,364,722

APPARATUS FOR ROTATING AND SHIFTING ROLLED WORKPIECES, ESPECIALLYSECTIONS Filed Nov. 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS OTTO MODDER,KARL G. ILLERT & MANFRED OLDENDOR'F TH IR ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1968 o.MODDER ETAL 3,364,722

APPARATUS FOR ROTATING AND SHIFTING ROLLED WORKPIECES, ESPECIALLYSECTIONS Filed Nov. 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG) INVENTORS OTTOMODDER, KARL e4 ILLERT a MANFRED OLDENDORF /L Q-7Z THEIR ATTORNEY Jan.23, 1968 o. MODDER ETAL 3,364,722

APPARATUS FOR ROTATING AND SHIFTING ROLLED WORKPIECES, ESPECIALLYSECTIONS Filed Nov. 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGS FIGS

FIGS

INVENTORS OTTO MODDER, KARL G. ILLERT & MANFRED OLDENDORF THEIR ATTORNEYJan. 23, 1968 Filed Nov. 19, 1965 O. MODDER ET AL APPARATUS FOR ROTATINGAND SHIFTING ROLLED WORKPIECES, ESPECIALLY SECTIONS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

FIG. 7

INVENTORS OTTO MODQDER KARL G. ILLER'I' a. MANFRED OLDENDORF 71. (17241HEIR ATTQRNEY United States Patent 3,364,722 AIPARATUS FOR ROTATING ANDSHIFT- ING ROLLED WORKPIECES, ESPECIALLY SECTIONS Otto Modeler,Dahlbruch, Kreis Siegen, Karl G. Illert,

Neuss, and Manfred Oldendorf, Dortmund, Germany, assignors to SiegenerMaschinenbau G.m.b.I-I.,

a corporation of Germany Filed Nov. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 508,776 Claimspriority, application Germany, Nov. 20, 1964, S 94,270 6 Claims. (Cl.72389) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention concerns an apparatusfor rotating and shifting rolled bars, especially rolled beam sections,which is provided between a conveying roller table and a crosstransferlaterally arranged thereto such as a hot bed, and it includes a largernumber of bar rotating levers hinged to a horizontal shaft, which leversseize the rolled bars in a first position and deposit them in a secondposition on the hot bed.

Presently it is known to employ transfer devices in conjunction with hot'beds made up of raked members that rotate through a circular path oftravel to lift the rolled bars individually off of the approach rollertable and move them perpendicular to the latter in the direction of thehot bed. in another form of the prior art there was associated with therake, laterally at its end away from the roller table, an erecting orsetting-up device, which would receive a bar lying occasionally in thelast rake pocket into an angular-variable pocket of the erecting leverand deposits it in an upright position upon the hot bed. Such transferdevices were of a relatively heavy and lavish construction and thereforeare cumbersome and subject to objectionable wear during operation.

In an attempt to simplify and increase the safety in operation of suchsetting-up and shifting devices one previous design employed a carriageor slide constructed to move horizontally back and forth through theagency of a hydraulically actuated piston, and on which carriage therewas rigidly mounted one or several hydraulically driven pistons havingvertical direction of motion. Of these latter pistons at least oneserves to raise and lower the rake lifting the rolled bars off theconveying roller table, while other pistons serve to raise and lower orswing the erecting levers or pockets that were associated with the endof the rake away from the roller table.

This known setting-up and shifting device was also relatively lavish andtherefore costly in its construction; furthermore, its housing requiresconsiderable space.

The present invention has for its object the still further simplifyingof the setting-up and shifting apparatus for rolled bars, especiallyrolled sections, and in such a manner that aside from being easy andmanageable in operation, it requires only a minimum of installationspace. According to the invention this object is realized essentially inthe fact that the erecting levers are mounted to be horizontallyshiftable in stationary guides which extend beyond the width of theroller table and for a distance approximating that of the hot bed. Thisarrangement according to the invention not only assures smooth operationof the setting-up and shifting apparatus, but also completelyeliminating the conveying rakes or the like, which in the known transferdevices are bridging the space between the conveying roller table andthe erecting levers, because the erecting levers, aside from theirfunction of setting up the rolled bars, at the same time assume also theshifting function for the rolled bars.

The setting-up and shifting apparatus of the present invention can "beworked with relatively little driving power and therefore with lightdriving units, since in the invention there is provided a coupling rodconnected with a rocking lever of the shifting drive, the rod also beingconnected to the erecting levers at their axes of rotation, while to anarm of the rocking lever extending beyond the swivel axis a pushortie-rod is linked, which is engaged by one arm of an angle lever restingon the pivot shaft between the rocking iever and the coupling rod, tothe other arm of the angle lever a pivot drive which moves together withthe rocking lever is connected. All the driving means can thus bemounted fixedly and need not be seated on a relatively heavy and therebycumbersome movable carriage or slide. In the present invention,therefore, all the drive members are stationary mounting and only therelatively lightly built setting-up levers or pockets are movable.

According to the invention there is advantage in most cases if all therocking levers are adjustable through a common shaft by the shiftingdrive, instead of a special swing drive being associated with eacherecting lever.

In cases where a rather rapid transfer of the rolled bars from theconveyin roller table to the hot bed is important, it is also possibleacording to the invention to make provision for several groups ofsetting-up levers or pockets and to move the rocking levers of each oneof these groups effecting the shifting drive by means of a special shaftand a special shifting drive. Namely, it is possible thereby to operatethe setting-up and shifting apparatus in such a manner that the onegroup of setting-up levers or pockets lifts a bar oil the roller table,while at the same time a second group of settingup levers or pocketsdelivers a rolled bar to the hot bed and a third group of setting-uplevers or pockets runs back underneath the conveying plane toward theconveying roller table in order to get into the receiving position forthe next arriving rolled bar. A particularly advantageous operation ofsuch a setting-up and shifting apparatus is possible according to theinvention, whenever setting-up levers or pockets of various groups arein turn arranged next to one another.

It is another feature of the invention to allow the shifting drive ordrives and the swinging drives to take the form of piston-cylinderunits.

Further developments and characteristics of the setting-up and shiftingapparatus according to the invention will be dealt with hereinafter withreference to the following drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section of the setting-up and shifting mechanisms inassociation with the hot bed of a rolling mill,

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the arrangement according to FIGURE 1 on areduced scale,

FIGURES 36 illustrate various operating positions of a setting-up andshifting apparatus for rolled bars according to the invention,

FIGURE 7 is a simplified representation of a top view of the arrangementaccording to FIGURE 1 on a reduced scale and illustrating astraightening operation for crooked bars, and

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section along the plane of line VIIIV'III of FIGURE7.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown an approach rollertable 1 on which individual rolled beams 2 are brought lying down, i.e.supported by the edges of their flanges. They run up against a bumper 3,thereby preventing their further advance. Serving for the delivery ofthe individual bars to a hot bed 4 arranged laterally to the rollertable 1 are setting-up levers or pockets 5, each of which with theirpivot 6 traverse by virtue of rollers 6a received on stationary guides7, and which pivots extend perpendicular to the roller table axis beyondthe roller table the full distance of the adjacent side of the hot bed.

The setting-up levers or pockets 5, in assuming their beam transportingposition, are moved below the conveying plane of the approach rollertable 1 crosswise between the latters rollers and underneath the rolledbeam 2 to be rotated and transported. Thereafter the setting-up leversor pockets are lifted above the conveying plane of the approach rollertable and shifted out of the range of the approach roller table 1 intothe range of the cross-transfer forming the hot bed 4, while at the sametime they are so erected, that the rolled beam 2 taken over from theapproach roller table 1 in a lyingdown position is deposited in anupright position on the hot bed. Of course, it is also possible withoutanything further to deposit the rolled beam 2 in a lying-down positionupon the hot bed 4.

The setting-up levers or pockets 5 are actuated through a shifting drive8 which takes the form of a piston-cylinder unit, engaging a fixedlymounted rocking lever 9, the latter being connected through a couplingrod 10 to the vpivot 6 of the setting-up levers or pockets 5.

Serving as a swing drive 11 to raise and lower the setting-up levers orpockets is a device also preferably in the form of a piston-cylinderunit. This swing drive 11 engages the one arm 12a of a toggle lever 12movably mounted on the pivot 13 between the rocking lever 9 and thecoupling rod 16 and its other arm 12b is hinged to the one end of apushor tie-rod 14. The other end of the pushand tie-rod 14 engages anarm extending beyond the pivot 6 of the setting-up levers or pockets 5.The swing mechanism or drive 11 is fixed to pivot round an axis parallelto the swivel bearing of the rocking lever 9, so that it follows eachswinging motion of the rocking lever 9 effected by the shifting drive 8.This makes it possible at any point of time and in any shifting positionof the setting-up levers or pockets 5 to raise or lower the latter.

Directly through the setting-up levers or pockets 5, the individualrolled beams 2 are deposited on the stationary grates 4a of the hot bed4, whereby stepwise conveying throughout the length of the hot bed 4 iseffected through lifting beams 4b that can be raised and lowered bymeans of a stationary lifting drive 15 and lifting gears 16 and at thesame time they are shiftable in their longitudinal direction through apacemaker drive 17.

From the rear end of the hot bed 4, the individual rolled beams 2 can betransferred again to a runout table 19. For that purpose there isarranged between the rear end of the hot bed and the runout table 19 asetting-up and shifting device similar to the one between the approachroller table and the front end of the hot bed 4. The operating method ofthis setting-up and shifting device is however inverse to that of thesetting-up and shifting device between the approach roller table 1 andthe hot bed 4, i.e. the individual rolled beams 2 are removed from thehot bed 4 in their upright position and deposited in the lying-downposition on the runout table 19.

Normally it will sufiice to provide (between the roller table and thehot bed) only one group of setting-up levers or pockets :5. With anespecially rapid succession of rolled beams, however, it may bedesirable to provide several groups of setting-up levers or pockets 5and couple them with different shifting drives 8. For that purpose it ismerely necessary to mount the rocking levers 9 associated with thevarious groups of setting-up levers or pockets 5 on ditferent shaftswhich are also actuated by different shifting drives or mechanisms 8. Ifthe different shifting mechanisms 3 are then actuated in phaselikefashion the rolled beams 2 between the roller table and the hot bed canbe turned over in quick successionor inversely, if different groups ofsetting-up levers or pockets 5 are provided, it is advisable to arrangethe setting-up levers or pockets 5 of different groups to turnsuccessively. The various drive shafts associated with the individualrocking lever groups are purposely arranged mounted one after another.

As is revealed in FIGURE 3, the setting-up and shifting apparatusaccording to the invention can also be used for the rolled beams 2delivered lying-down on the ap proach roller table 1 to erect them abovethe roller table and then redeposit them thereon, so that on the rollertable they can be conveyed to subsequently arranged hot beds, forexample, cross-roller hot beds.

Furthermore, according to FIGURE 4 it is also possible to use thesettingup and shifting apparatus according to the invention simply forthe lateral displacement of lying-down sections 2a between roller tableand hot bed or inversely. The working method of the setting-up andshifting apparatus for the removal of sections in any position inclinedin relation to the entry plane from the roller table upon the hot bed orfrom the hot bed upon the roller table, is revealed in FIGURE 5, whereasFIGURE 6 indicates the position in which the setting-up levers orpockets 5 can be moved underneath the conveying plane from roller tableto hot bed, without colliding with rolled beams 2 lying on top thereofor between the latter being moved by another group of setting-up leversor pockets 5.

The setting-up and shifting apparatus according to the invention, byreason of its characteristic operating method, is suitable for use intransferring of the rolled beams to the hot bed, with no distance behindthe bed and apparatus or with a predeterminable distance.

A special advantage of the setting-up and shifting apparatus accordingto the invention resides furthermore in the fact that with the aidthereof, also crooked beams 21) can be prestraightened prior to enteringa straightening machine. For that purpose, namely, it is merelynecessary for the shaft carrying the rocking levers 9 to be providedWith several coupling points, through which it is possible to disconnectpredetermined rocking levers 9 from the relative setting-up levers orpockets 5 by way of the drive 8. By securing the setting-up levers orpockets 5 uncoupled by the drive against motion inside the guides 7, itwill be possible to use these fixed setting-up levers or pockets 5 asabutments for the crooked beam 2 and cause the settingup levers orpockets 5 still coupled with the drive 8 to act upon said beam from theopposite side through a corresponding shifting movement. Therefore,prestraightening of crooked rolled beams is accomplished in a verysimple manner. It is advisable in particular to provide the shaftcarrying the rocking levers 9 with a plurality of coupling points, inorder to be able to straighten rolled beams 2 of different length.

In connection therewith it is also a feature of the present invention toassociate with each individual rocking lever 9 a special drive 8, thesedrives 8 being synchronized during normal operation, while during thestraightening operation any selective number of drives 8 are to beoperated or blocked, so that in this way the straightening op eration ofthe setting-up and shifting apparatus can occur in accordance with theprevailing requirements. The development and operating method of thesetting-up and shifting apparatus according to the invention during thestraightening operation are revealed in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawing,in which for the individual elements the same reference numerals asthose in FIGURES l to 6 are being used.

The characteristic function of the setting-up and shifting apparatusaccording to the invention thus makes it possible during thestraightening operation to bring the setting-up levers or pockets 5 inthe occasionally required manner into action upon the crooked rolledbeam, whereby the straightening operation is being given the additionalspecial advantage in that the settingup levers or pockets 5, lyingbeneath the conveying plane of the rolled bars, can be moved into anydesired position and then erected. Also during the straighteningoperation of the apparatus, there will thus be no collision difficultieswhatever of the setting-up levers or pockets 5 with the rolled stock.

The manifold applicability of the setting-up and shifting apparatusaccording to the invention for rolled material, especially section bars,beams, angles, sheet piling bars or the like, is therefore obvious.

The invention can be modified in various points without thereby goingbeyond its scope. Thus it is possible without anything further, forexample, to combine the setting-up and shifting apparatus according tothe invention, instead of with the lifting beam hot bed, with adifferent type of cross-transfer, for example, a cross-transferoperating with drag dogs or cross rollers. It is also possible to usedrives other than piston-cylinder units, such as cam disk or crankshaftdrives.

Although it is advisable for the straightening operation of crookedrolled beams to use the setting-up and shifting device provided at therear end of the hot bed, it is possible without anything further toperform the straightening operation also with the setting-up andshifting device located at the front end of the hot bed.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we haveexplained the principle and operation of our invention and haveillustrated and described what we consider to represent the bestembodiment thereof. However, we desire to have it understood that withinthe scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other-Wise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. In combination with a conveyor roller table for advancing rolledworkpieces and a cross transfer for receiving the workpieces from saidtable, a setting-up and shifting apparatus for the workpieces arrangedlaterally of said conveyor roller table for shifting individuallyhorizontally positioned workpieces and depositing them on said transforand comprising a plurality of setting-up levers including portions forsupporting a workpiece in two positions, said levers being pivotallymounted about a horizontal axis, the improvement comprising:

a roller for each setting-up lever and arranged on the horizontal axisof said levers,

horizontally arranged stationary guides for receiving said rollers in amanner to allow their horizontal movement,

a coupling bar connected to each of said levers at the points of theirhorizontal axes of rotation,

a shifting drive for advancing said levers over said guides,

a rocking lever connecting said drive to each of said coupling bars,

said setting-up levers each having an arm, one end be ing coaxiallyarranged on said horizontal axis and the other end extending away fromsaid horizontal axis,

a push and pull rod connected to the extending end of the arms,

a bell crank mounted on each of said rocking levers carrying one end ofa coupling bar and one end of a push and pull rod, and

a rocking drive connected to one end of a bell crank for effectingrotation of said setting-up levers.

2. In combination with a conveying roller table and a cross transferaccording to claim 1,

said apparatus including a plurality of said rocking levers, each beingpivotally carried by a common shaft,

at least two shifting drives for horizontally moving said setting-uplevers, and

at least two rocking drives for rotating said setting-up levers.

3. In combination with a conveying roller table and a cross transferaccording to claim 2,

wherein shifting and said rocking drives comprise piston cylinderassemblies.

4. In combination with a conveying roller table and a cross transferaccording to claim 3,

including two roller tables one being an approach roller tableassociated with the receiving end of said cross transfer and the other arunout table associated with the discharge end of said cross transfer,wherein said workpiece rotating setting-up levers are arranged on eachend of said cross transfer for facilitating the transfer of workpiecesfrom the approach roller table to the cross transfer and from the crosstransfer to the runout roller table.

5. In combination with a conveying roller table and a cross transferaccording to claim 4, wherein at least certain of said setting-up leversinclude abutting surfaces,

means for disengaging said certain workpiece rotating setting-up leversfrom said first drives,

whereby on operation of the members still connected to their firstdrives crooked workpieces are forced between the workpiece rotatingsetting-up levers on one side thereof and the abutting surfaces of theother setting-up levers on the other side and straightened.

6. In combination with a conveying roller table and a cross transferaccording to claim 1,

said apparatus including separate, succeeding groups of setting uplevers, each group having an individual rocking lever, aninterconnecting horizontal shaft for each group and shifting and rockingdrives.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 18,152 8/1931 George 72-426614,326 11/1898 Huber 198-33 942,644 12/1909 Huston 198-105 X 1,152,0148/1915 Farkell 198-33 1,360,106 11/1920 Forsstrom 98-33 2,658,60811/1953 Wehmiller 198-219 2,761,507 9/1956 Clarke et al. 72-426 XRICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner.

M. L. AJEMAN, Assistant Examiner.

